Chapter 1
The morning sunlight filtered through the half-closed blinds, casting striped shadows across Avince's sleeping form. His room was a testament to late-night studying—books sprawled across his desk, empty energy drink cans lined up like tired soldiers, and crumpled papers scattered about like fallen leaves.
"Avince! Come on, wake up!" Amyra's voice, though groggy, cut clearly through his sleep. She stood in his doorway, already dressed in her school uniform, her long dark hair neatly braided—the perfect picture of a prepared student, save for the slight annoyance flickering across her face.
Avince groaned, pulling the blanket over his head with a firm hold. The warmth of his bed felt like a sanctuary against the morning chill and his sister's persistent voice. "Just five more minutes."
"No! You've already had your 'ten minutes,'" she complained, air-quoting before tugging the blanket off him. The cool morning air hit him like a splash of water. "Get up or else Mom's gonna be mad again." A small wisp of frost followed her fingertips as she pulled the blanket away—a tiny, unconscious display of her ability that she probably didn't even notice.
Grumbling, he finally sat up and rubbed his eyes, his dark hair sticking up in all directions. "Fine, fine. I'm up." The floor was cold against his feet as he stumbled to his closet, fumbling for his uniform while Amyra waited impatiently in the doorway.
The hallway outside was already alive with the sounds of morning—the soft hum of their father's coffee maker, the gentle clink of dishes as their mother prepared breakfast, and the faint whisper of what seemed to be one of their father's smaller summoned creatures helping with morning chores.
Some time later, they joined their parents at the dining area, the smell of toast and eggs filling the air. The kitchen was warm and inviting, sunlight streaming through the large windows and catching on the frost patterns that perpetually decorated the window panes—a subtle reminder of their mother's ice abilities. Avince made himself a cup of coffee, still half-asleep, the warm mug a comfort against his palms.
Their father sat at his usual place, the morning newspaper spread before him. A small fire salamander, no bigger than a cat, lounged near his feet, occasionally puffing small flames that helped keep the room cozy. It was one of Erwin's favorite summons for household tasks, particularly useful during cold mornings.
"You look like you didn't sleep at all," Erwin greeted as he glanced up from his newspaper, his eyes crinkling with concern behind his reading glasses. The salamander at his feet lifted its head, giving Avince what almost looked like a sympathetic glance.
Avince shrugged, poking at his scrambled eggs. Steam rose from the plate, curling in the cool morning air. "Stayed up too late, I guess." The eggs were perfectly cooked—his mother always managed to get them just right, using a precise combination of her ice ability to control the temperature of the pan.
"Again?" Ashna chimed in from the stove, shaking her head. A thin layer of frost coated the handle of the pan she was holding, her natural affinity for ice manifesting even in such mundane tasks. "You really should start taking better care of yourself, especially with your birthday coming up." As she spoke, the frost patterns on the windows seemed to shift slightly, responding to her concern.
The mention of his birthday made Avince's hand pause midway to his mouth. The scrambled eggs suddenly looked less appetizing, despite their perfect preparation. The salamander by Erwin's feet sensed the change in mood and let out a small, concerned chirp.
"Mom..." Amyra started, absently creating small ice crystals in her water glass—a nervous habit she'd developed since her awakening.
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"I know you don't want to talk about it, but we can't ignore it." Ashna set down her spatula, the metal instantly frosting over where she'd touched it. She turned to face him fully, her expression a mixture of concern and determination. "Your nineteenth birthday is different from others, and you know it."
Erwin folded his newspaper, dismissing the salamander with a gentle wave. The creature disappeared in a small puff of warm smoke, leaving behind a lingering warmth. "Son, we know it's not easy being a late bloomer. But everyone awakens eventually—it's just that some paths are...different from others."
"Different?" Avince scoffed, his coffee now cold in his hands. "You mean rare and potentially dangerous. One in five million, right?" He could see his reflection in the coffee's dark surface, looking tired and uncertain.
"Having an unstable awakening doesn't mean—" Ashna began, the temperature in the kitchen dropping slightly with her anxiety.
"I know what it means, Mom." Avince pushed his eggs around his plate, creating patterns that reminded him of the ability-enhanced training grounds at school. "Normal kids get their abilities at six, inheriting from their parents. The lucky ones like Amyra get theirs at thirteen, combining both parents' abilities into something amazing. And then there's me."
"Hey!" Amyra protested, the ice crystals in her glass growing larger with her emotion. "My ice monsters weren't exactly 'amazing' at first. Remember when I accidentally froze the entire living room trying to summon a snow rabbit?" Her cheeks flushed at the memory, frost spreading across her glass.
Despite himself, Avince cracked a smile. The memory was still vivid—the living room transformed into a winter wonderland, icicles hanging from the ceiling fan, their mother's prized houseplants frozen solid. "Dad had to summon his fire salamander to thaw everything out."
"And we had wet carpets for weeks," Erwin added, chuckling. The corners of his eyes crinkled with amusement before his expression grew serious again. "But Avince, having an unstable awakening doesn't make you any less capable. It just means your body chose a different path." He gestured to the frost-covered windows and the lingering warmth from his salamander.
"Your father's right," Ashna moved to sit at the table, leaving behind a trail of delicate frost patterns on the floor that quickly faded. She reached for Avince's hand, her touch cool but comforting. "Sometimes when parents have abilities that don't naturally align—like ice conjuring and monster summoning—the child's body takes longer to figure out its own path. It's not about being better or worse, just different."
The kitchen fell silent for a moment, save for the soft ticking of the clock and the gentle hum of the heating system fighting against the mixture of warm and cold air that always filled their home.
"I just know you'll get something awesome though!" Amyra held her chin in contemplation, unconsciously creating tiny ice figurines on the table as she thought. "A common physical strengthening definitely doesn't suit you, nor does a transformation ability... maybe a rare elemental manipulation?" The figurines danced across the table's surface, depicting various abilities she was describing.
"The awakening at nineteen is called unstable for a reason, Amyra." Avince sighed, pushing away his half-eaten breakfast. The eggs had gone completely cold now. "The ability would be more unpredictable than those." He tilted his head down and continued with a mumble, watching his reflection fragment in his coffee. "It would have been better if I wasn't part of that one in five million and got my ability earlier."
Erwin reached across the table and placed a hand on his son's shoulder, his touch warm from his natural affinity to fire-based abilities. "Listen, when my monster summoning first manifested, I accidentally called forth a group of imp-like creatures I tamed, they wreaked havoc in my school's cafeteria. The lunch lady never quite forgave me." He smiled at the memory. "Your mother also accidentally froze her entire classroom solid—it took three fire-ability users to thaw everything out. Every ability starts out rough—unstable or not."
Amyra glanced at the clock and jumped up, her sudden movement causing her ice figurines to shatter into sparkling dust. "Speaking of school, we're going to be late!"
The kitchen burst into activity—bags being grabbed, last bites of breakfast hastily consumed, and quick goodbyes exchanged. As they gathered their things, Erwin quickly summoned the small fire salamander to help warm their path to the door, melting any ice that had formed during breakfast.
"Remember, Avince—whatever happens, you've got us. We'll help you through it," Erwin called out, the salamander chirping in agreement before disappearing in a puff of warm smoke.